County Releases Preliminary 2008 Budget

Lay-offs affecting 10 individuals in 2007 and 2008 are part of
the budget balancing act.
By Chris Henry
chenry@kitsapsun.com
PORT ORCHARD
For the first time since 1987, Kitsap County will balance its
budget without dipping into its reserve fund.
On Wednesday, the county released a preliminary $327.96 million
budget for public review. A public hearing on the document,
available on the county’s Web site, will be held Dec. 3.
The budget process took on extra urgency this year, as the county’s
reserve fund will be essentially depleted in 2008.
County officials have spent nearly all of 2007 identifying spending
cuts to address a shortfall in 2008 general fund revenues that was,
at one time, projected as high as $4 million. Higher than expected
revenues reduced the required savings to $2.8 million.
Five individuals were laid off in 2007, and five more, including
the county’s public information officer, will receive pink slips in
2008 as part of the budget reduction. The balance of the deficit
will be made up by cuts in supplies, savings on employee medical
benefits and new ways of doing business that result in greater
efficiency.
A press release from the county cites a staff reduction of 33
positions, but most of those positions were vacated and not
re-filled during the county’s hiring freeze, enacted at the start
of 2007, said County Administrator Nancy Buonanno-Grennan. The
positions of some staff members who are resigning in 2008 will not
be filled, and some positions have had a reduction in hours.
“It’s been very difficult for everybody,” said
Buonanno-Grennan.
“Like working families and businesses facing rising costs
everywhere, Kitsap County must also live within our means, and this
balanced budget shows that we’re being fiscally responsible to our
taxpayers,” said Commissioners Josh Brown, chairman of the county’s
board of commissioners.
The county’s general fund, at $87.6 million, is the largest of its
budget categories. The general fund covers the functions of elected
officials, public safety, law and justice, parks, general
government and community programs.

5 thoughts on “County Releases Preliminary 2008 Budget”

I am not sure why they are so annoying, it could be that he is all of 28, so you have to wonder what he truly understands of the struggles of “working familes,” or maybe it’s because I attended a meeting in which people were collecting for his “defense fund.”

It was hard not to think, “this kid is making over $100,000 a year and they want ME to help pay for his legal bills!”

For Heaven’s Sake… fight him on issues, not on spoons and ‘blue collars.’
My objection to Josh Brown was his youth and inexperience.
His competence in the job has yet to be seen…he has barely started.
I sure approve of the county common sense approach to the budget…

“…will receive pink slips in 2008 as part of the budget reduction. The balance of the deficit will be made up by cuts in supplies, savings on employee medical benefits and new ways of doing business that result in greater efficiency…”

One statement he made concerns me… He was quoted in the paper (and I’m not looking up the exact article right now) that the only time the county would go to the voters for a levy lift was “in the event of a recession”. That strikes me as the absolute wrong time to ask people for more money.

You’re right, BL…asking for money in a recession is bad timing. Sort of like fishing from shore with a 25 foot line at a -50 foot tide.
If the statement is accurate, it could be due to his age and lack of understanding of what a ‘recession’ means…or he is really a optimistic person… and, who knows, he might be right.
Sharon O’Hara